‘These Blue Mountains’ Book Review: Hope As Strong As The Hills

Hedda doesn’t want a grand adventure in life. In fact, a simple routine of teaching music and spending time with an ailing friend is all she hopes for now. Love had come and gone, a dream laid to rest 15 years ago.

Spinning Fiction From Facts

This is primarily a historical novel, a fictional spin on real world events. There really were Germans who were kept as “prisoners” in North Carolina when WWI broke out, and there really was a German woman who found out about a loved one’s death from a newspaper article years later.

But there the facts end and the fantasies take flight. What if the man were not actually dead? What if, when the German women went to reclaim his remains, a mystery was left instead?

These Blue Mountains takes the reader on a journey across the Atlantic sea as Hedda tries to find out the truth and figure out what life has for her next. It is a clever book developed from the most unlikely real life story.

A Love Triangle

It’s interesting because poor Hedda isn’t really in love with either of the two men who would like to claim her attention. Her first love, Fritz, was thought to be dead, and she thought her dreams of love died with him.

But when she meets Garland, the deputy sheriff, he goes out of his way to make sure she’s taken care of and safe, and would love to get to know her on a deeper level.

With others also admiring this spunky heroine, Hedda is oblivious to her natural charm. The reader cheers on her on and hopes she’ll find a love big enough to match her cheerful spirit.

The American Dream

It was nice to experience America through the eyes of a fictional character who finds this beautiful country full of freedom, life, and hope. Living here all the time can dull the senses to the classic American Dream; it was nice to see the country anew from a different set of eyes.

Faith in Fiction

With so much upheaval around relationships and such, I liked how Sarah Loudin Thomas talked about forgiveness and the importance of having difficult conversations, especially around relationships. God is full of forgiveness and mercy, but also wants us to set things right, when we can. The characters were able to move past the hurt and find new life, which was a encouraging theme.

Want to read These Blue Mountains for yourself? You can order it from the FamilyFiction Amazon Affiliate Link HERE!